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UK set for mini-heatwave with highs of 31°C expected in Manchester today

The Met Office is even predicting that today could be the hottest day of the year so far.

Emily Sergeant - 31st July 2020

We’re waving goodbye to washout July as the UK is hotting up and heading for a mini-heatwave today with highs of 30°C expected across Greater Manchester.

August is nearly here and so is the warm weather to go along with it.

Yesterday provided a glimpse into the weather we’re in store for, as temperature highs of 30°C were recorded in some parts of the UK, but forecasts indicate this will be exceeded today. The Met Office is even predicting that today could be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures expected to hit 35°C in some areas of London and South East England.

Highs of 30°C are expected across areas of Greater Manchester.

Andy Page, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “The bulk of England and Wales will have dry, very warm and sunny weather to end the week, with Friday likely to be the hottest day of the year so far for the UK”.

The hottest day of the year so far was previously recorded on 24th June, when temperatures hit 31°C at Heathrow Airport.

As this warm weather today won’t be sticking around for very long though, forecasters are not classing it as a heatwave, prompting many to label it as a mini-heatwave instead.

The Met Office defines a heatwave as “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity” and the heatwave threshold, which varies depending on location, is reached when daily maximum temperatures are met or exceeded for three consecutive days.

Brent Walker, Deputy Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: “There is quite a change in the weather coming by the end of the week, with increasing sunshine and a day of hot conditions on Friday [but] it won’t persist long enough to become a heatwave as a cold front moves in on Saturday, bringing the temperatures back down to around average for the time of year.”

The Met Office has also confirmed that July has been colder on average this year across the UK.

Today’s rise in temperatures come after officials at the Met Office have spoken out about a recently published report into the effects and influence of climate change on UK weather, with Mike Kendon – Lead Author of the report for the Met Office – stating that: “The Central England Temperature series shows us that the 21st Century so far has been warmer than the previous three centuries” and Dr Mark McCarthy – Head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre – adding that: “The climate statistics over time reveal an undeniable warming trend for the UK”.

For more information ahead of this predicted warm weather, visit the Met Office website here.

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The Department of Health and Social Care has today issued advice for keeping safe during warm weather, and Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service has also asked that the public remain vigilant, consider their actions and take care when in the countryside, or on the moors.

#EnjoySummerSafely